An old NASA science satellite, the Van Allen Probe A, plunged uncontrolled from orbit and reentered over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, according to U.S. and space-agency officials.
The U.S. Space Force said the probe came in west of the Galapagos Islands. NASA said it expected some of the 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) spacecraft to survive entry, with most of it burning up in the atmosphere.
NASA also assessed the risk of bodily harm at 1-in-4,200.
NASA’s twin spacecraft, the Van Allen Probe B, is still orbiting Earth but no longer functioning. Both probes were launched in 2012 and flew through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth, studying them for seven years before ceasing operation.
When the satellites ran out of fuel in 2019, NASA anticipated they would remain in orbit until 2034. The space agency said intense solar activity over the past several years hastened the demise of the A probe.
NASA said the B probe is not expected to reenter before 2030.
Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek said all re-entries are difficult to predict, but he described this one as especially challenging because of its eccentric, lopsided orbit.